Tire buffing machine



Dec. 22, 1964 J. A. STULL TIRE BUFFING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 50, 1963 Claw/v ,6. 51-044,

INVENTOR.

BY H/s firmnwsg:

. 115221; K/Ezw, Jgz/ssau. {524 Dec. 22, 1964 J. A. STULL 3,162,233

TIRE BUFFING MACHINE Filed July 30, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Tmux @ 196s firmlavs gr .39 9: fiscw, flusszx. fflErPa I Dec. 22, 1964 J. A. STULL 3,162,233

TIRE BUFFING MACHINE Filed July 30, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 (/ahw' A. razl.

INVEN TOR.

BY 1%.: flrrafi/vsys Dec. 22, 1964 Filed July 30, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 (IO/WV A. 51-041.

INVENTOR- 52915; Mar, fiasssz 1. flsem United States Patent Ofitice 3,lh2,233 Patented Dec. 22, 1964 3,162,233 TIRE BUFIFING MACH-ENE John A. Stall, La Mirada, (lalifi, assignor to Salshury Corporation, Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation of California Filed .l'uiy 3t 1963, Ser. No. 298,704 15 Claims. (Cl. l'713) This invention relates to retreading of tires and in particular to an apparatus for buffing the exterior surface of a tire casing which is to be retreaded.

Tire butting equipment now commonly in use is semiautomatic in operation and depends to a considerable extent upon the skill of the operator in the efficient removal of rubber. Buffing involves toughening the surface of the worn tire so that a later applied strip of rubber known as a camelback will adhere and provide the proper tire casing profile. Thereafter, the tire casing is vulcanized to integrate the camelback with the casing and to form a tread design.

Some tire butting equipment presently in use relies on the operator to manually force a buffing wheel against the surface of the casing. Too often, the operator, and this is especially true of an unskilled operator, applies too much force with the result that high friction may cause some burning of the tire casing. It is very difiicult for an operator to control the movement of the buffing wheel over the surface of the tire with the required accuracy needed to provide a uniform tire casing profile. A casing with excess rubber removed at places around its periphery will frequently be out of balance following the retreading operation.

It is a principal object of the invention to provide a tire bufling machine which is substantially automatic in its operation. 7

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine capable of uniformity of operation between successive tires.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a machine which can be relied upon to give uniform results even when operated by an unskilled worker.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine which will permit the butfing of a tire casing in considerably less time than now commonly required.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a machine that will successively buff tires of the same size to have substantially identical casing profiles.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine that may be readily adjusted to accept tires of differing cross sections.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine having a rugged structure which will retain its rigidity throughout long and rough usage to assure uniformity to the tires being processed.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a tire buffing machine possessing a relatively simple structure having minimized operating costs and reduced maintenance.

These and other objects and advantages of the apparatus of the invention will be better understood from the following specifioation and from the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the tire buifing machine of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of the tire buffing machine of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal, sectional view, partly in elevation, taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, sectional View, partly in elevation, taken along line 44 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary, longitudinal, sectional view taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a vertical, sectional view taken along line 66 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary, sectional view taken along line 77 of FIG. 5; :and

FIG. 8 is an enlarged, fragmentary, cross-sectional view taken along line 3-8 of FIG. 7.

With reference to the perspective view of FIG. 1 and the schematic view of FIG. 2, it will be seen that the automatic tire bufling machine of the invention comprises a first carriage 1% which is movable longitudinally of the apparatus and which carriage supports a vertical pedestal 12 upon which a tire 14 is rotatably mounted about a horizontal axis. There is provided a second carriage 16 which is movable transversely of the first carriage 10. A rasp or bufiing wheel 18 is rotatably mounted about a vertical axis on the transverse carriage 16. The buffing wheel 18 is driven by a motor 24 which may be air driven. The rubber shavings loosened by the buffing wheel 18 are drawn ofl through a flexible duct 26 by a suction blower 22, which is driven by the motor 25. The discharge from the blower 22 leaves via a conduit 26. The blower 22 and motor 24 are fixed and do not move with the second carriage 16.

The transversely moving bufiing wheel carriage 16 supports a template 28 having the profile of the tire casing. A template follower Zn? in the form of a roller supported by the tire carriage 1a bears against a camming surface 32 of the profile template 28. The casing profile template 2% may be replaced by other templates for use with tire casings of diiferent cross sections. An examination of the schematic drawing of FIG. 2 will show that the template 28 and follower 30 control the path through which the tire casing 14 moves with respect to the rotating bufiing wheel 13 with the transverse movement of the gufiing wheel carriage 1d. The buffing wheel 18 moves in a straight line and initially occupies the position indicated in full lines in FIG. 2. The movement of the carriage 16 to a central position of its path to occupy the position indicated in the phantom line circle 36 will cause the tire 14 to move to the right of FIG. 2 and occupy position 38. At this time, the cam follower 30 will have moved to position .2. When the cam follower 39 reaches position 44, the buffing wheel 18 occupies position 46 in which position bufiing of the sloping side wall of the tire casing 14 occurs. In the preferred manner of operating the buffing machine of the invention, the buffing wheel 18 automatically completes two full passes across the profile of the tire 14 to complete a cycle. An adjusting means 48 is provided for moving the template follower member 30 with reference to its supporting carriage 10 toward and away from the casing profile template member 28. The adjusting means 48 may be regulated manually by a hand wheel 59.

structure of the roller brackets 62 and 64 is illustrated in FIG. 8 wherein it is seen that a first roller 66 engages the under, sloping side 63 of the rail .56. A second roller '70 engages the upper side of the rail 56. The rail 56 is held to the underlying base so by several recessed screws '72. The brackets 62 and 6d are fixed to the upper sur face of the base plate 5?. by screws 74. The roller 66 is rotatably held in place by bolt 73.

The buffing wheel carriage I6 is moved transversely of the tire carriage Iii by a lead screw it (FIG. 3) which trated in FIG. 8 and described above.

'A coil spring would serve the same purpose.

parallels the two rails Sdand 5S and is disposed therebetween. A lead screw 'nut 82 threadedly engages. the lead screw 80 and is movablelengthwise thereof with turning of the lead screw by a motor- 84- through a gear box 86. A chain drive 88 eonnects the gear box 86 to the lead screw 81). The lead screw nut 82 is fixedv to the underside of the base plate 52 of the; bufiing wheel carthe tire 14 iS'il'lOVEd bythe piston-cylinder assembly156 into the position illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2,3, and 5 Where 'the rotating bufiing wheel ls'buifs the sloping side of the tire 14 and moves automatically from there to positions 36 and 46 of FIG. 2. When the rotating bufiing Wheel 18 is in position .36, the tire supporting carriage is forced to the right of FIGS. 1 and 5, placing the rotating riage 16 with the result (FIG. 7) that the turning of the 7 lead screw 8% causes .the lead screwnut S2 and the attached base plate 52 to move lengthwise of the rails 56 and 58. The travel of the carriage 16 in the transverse direction is limited by m icroswitches 92 and'94, see FIG. 5. A short arm 96 of one of brackets 62 trips the respective microswitches 92 and 94 at the ends of the path of travel of the bufiing wheel carriage 15. p o

' One end of the base plate 52 of the second carriage'le carries a support plate 1% (FIG. 5) for the template member 28. The templatemember 28 is held to the support plate 1% by finger screws M92. The opposite ends of the template 28 (FIG. 5) are notched to provide shoulders 1&4 which engage location pins 1i6f The apparatus of the invention is supplied with several template members 28'which permit the use of the machine With tires of different sizes.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 6, it will be seen that the tire 14 is mounted on a rim 110 and is driven by a motor 112 through a gear box 114, chain" drive 116 and shaft 118. The motor 112 and gear box 114 are fixed to an inner faceof the pedestal 12. r

The means 48 for adjusting the position of the template follower 39 comprises (FIG; 3) a horizontally disposed shaft 120 at the upper end of the pedestal 12.1 The outer end of shaft 12@ supports the hand Whee1i50. :Turhing of the hand wheel 50 causes an indicator 122 ;which" threadedly engages the shaft 129 to move along-its scale 124,.see FIGS. 1 and 3. The turning 'of the hand wheel 50 also activates a chain 126 which extends between the shaft 126 and a lower threaded shaft 13% (seeFIGS.'3

and 4). An internally threaded sleeve 134 threadedly en-g gages the shaft 130 and is moved lengthwisethereof with turning of the hand wheel 50. The sleeve 134 is keyed by a key 131 against rotation and only moves lengthwise of the shaft 130. The-outer end of the sleeve 134 supports the template follower or roller 36.. The sleeve 134 is supported by a bracket 136 with bearings 133 and 135 therebetween which bracket is fixed by bolts 137 to the upper face of a base plate 140. The-base plate 140 is slidably held by roller brackets 146 and 148 (FIG. 6) retire in position 38. Upon movement of the rotating buf- 'fing wheel. 18 to the-"position of 46; thetire is returned by the piston-cylinder assembly 156 to the position illustrated in full lines in FIG. 2. The template 23 and template followerfiti are responsible for moving the tire supporting carriage 10 to the right of FIG. 2 with the movement of the transverse carriage'l. Normally, a bufiing differing butfing cycles.

cycle isautomatically completed when the bufi'ing wheel returns to its initial position." It will be appreciated that the microswitches 92 and 94 may be set to accommodate Ar button' 168 is an emergency button for stopping theapparatusatiany time. Depression of a button 169 initiatesthe inflating of the tire and abut-ton 176 the deflation of the tire.v Since the means for inflating and 'defiating'the tire is conventional in 7 nature, it will not be described.

wA micrometer 1413 supported by the pedestal 12 of carriage 10. enables the operator to gauge theamount of tread'possessed 'by'the tire. This reading may beused by the operator in his" manipulating of the hand wheel 56 to set the template'follower at the desired value indicated on scale 1214. Once. having set the indicator 123 at the desired setting on scale 124, the'subsequent.

operation of the machine will result in the proper amount ofjrubber beingremoy'ed. l

V Although an exemplary embodiment of the invention has been disclosed herein for purposes of illustration, it

willbe'understood' that various changes, modifications, and substitutions may. beincorporated insuch embodiment Without .departingfrom the spirit of the invention a as defined by the claimswhich follow.

spectively to rails 15%) and 152 of a base 154. 'The roller brackets Noland 148 aresimilar in structure to that illus- The means for urging the tire 14 and the bufl'ing wheel 18 into buffing engagement (FIGS. 3 and 6) and'for holding the template roller 30 against the camrning surface 32 of the template 28 is an air-actuated piston and cylinder assembly 156'. A cylinder 157 of the assembly 156 is held by a bracket 158 to the floor or the base of the apparatus. Piston 159 of the assembly 156 is held by a rod 161 to the underside of the base plate 140 of the tire carriage 10. When the piston 159 is moved to the left of FIG. 3, the tire 14 is brought into contact with the bufiing wheel 18. Since air is used for actuating the piston-cylinder assembly 156, the template roller follower 30 may be moved from the initial position of FIG; 2'to position 42 with movement of the transverse carriage 16.

may be moved wholly out of contact with the buifing wheel 18 by moving the piston 159 and piston rod 161 to the far right of FIG. 3. V I r u The .buffing wheel 18. is enclosed (FIG. 1) in ahood The tire .14 V

164, the opposite sides of which carry brushes 16 5 which v in the operating position contact the tire 14. I

At the outset of a butting cycle, the tire 14 is out of contact with the bufling wheel 18. With the depression of a starter button 166 at the top of the pedestal 12,

Iclaim: 1

1.: In an apparatus for bufling a tire casing, the combination comprising:

two carriageswith one of the said carriages being movable longitudinally of the apparatus and with the other carriage being movable. in a transverse direc tion thereof; 7 means for rotatably mounting a tire casing onone of the two carriages; V arbuffing wheel rotatably supported by the other of the two carriages andmovable. into bufiing engagement with the tire casing; a-tire casing profile template member and a template follower member with one of said members being supported on one of the carriages and with the other one of said members being carried by thev other of the carriages; and i H-meansurging the template members into engagement. 2. In an apparatus for-butting a tire casing, th e combination comprising z f i 7 'means for mounting the tire casing for rotation about a horizontal axis and for translatory, horizontal,

movement along a line perpendicular to the axisof rotation; V V

a bufling wheel and means for mounting the' wheel In an apparatus. for bulfing a tire casing to a desired profile, the combination comprising:

cans for mounting a tire casing for rotation about a horizontal axis and for translatory, horizontal movement along a line perpendicular to the axis of rotation;

buffing wheel and means for mounting the wheel for rotation about a vertical axis and for translatory movement along a line transverse to the line of trans latory movement of the tire casing; and

cans for presenting successive surfaces of the casing profileto the rotating bufling wheel as said bufiing wheel is moved transversely of the tire, said means including a casing profile template and template follower, with one of said template and follower being supported by one of the mounting means and with the other of said template and follower being supported by the other of the mounting means.

In an apparatus for bufiing a tire casing to a desired profile, the combination comprising:

first carriage movable in a horizontal plane lengthwise of said apparatus;

second carriage movable in a horizontal plane in a transverse direction of the line of movement of the first carriage;

. means for rotatably mounting a tire casing on one of the two carriages;

a buffing wheel rotatably supported by the other of the two carriages and lying in a plane including the axis of rotation of the tire casing;

means for urging the tire casing and bufling wheel into casing to a desired profile, the combination comprising:

means for mounting the tire casing for rotation about a horizontal axis and for translatory, horizontal movement along a line perpendicular to the axis of rotation;

bufiing wheel and means for mounting the wheel for rotation about a vertical axis and for translatory movement along a line parallel to the line of translatory movement of the tire casing;

casing profile template member and a template follower member with one of said template members being supported by one of said tire casing mounting means and buffing wheel mounting means and with the other of said template members being carried by the other of said mounting means; and

means for urging the tire casing into butting engagesired profile, the combination comprising:

eans for mounting the casing for rotation about a horizontal axis and for translatory, horizontal movement along a line perpendicular to the axis of rotation;

bufiing wheel and means for mounting the wheel for rotation about a vertical axis and in a plane including the axis of rotationoi said tire casing and for translatory movement along a line transverse to the line of the translatory movement of the tire casing; and I tire casing profile template member and a template follower member, said template members controlling the path through which the tire casing moves with respect to the rotating bufling wheel and with one of said template members being supported on one of the two mounting means and with the other of movement along a line perpendicular to the axis of rotation;

bufling wheel'and means for mounting the bufiing Wheel for rotation about a vertical axis and in a plane.

including the axis of rotation of said tire casing and for translatory movement along a line transverse to the line of the translatory movement of the tire casing;

a tire casing profile template member and a template follower member, said template members controlling the path through which the tire casing moves with respect to the rotating bufiing wheel and with one of said template members being supported on one of the mounting means and with the other of said template members being carried by the other of said mounting means; and

means for urging the tire casing and bufiing wheel into bufiing engagement. 4

8. An apparatus for buffing a tire casing to a desired profile, the combination comprising:

means for mounting the tire casing for rotation about a horizontal axis and for translatory, horizontal movement along a line perpendicular to the axis of rotation; buffing wheel and means for mounting the bufiing wheel for rotation about a vertical axis and for translatory movement along a line transverse to the line of translatory movement of the tire casing;

means for moving the bui'fing wheel along its transverse line of movement;

a casing profile template member and a template follower member with one of said template members being supported by one of said mounting means and with the other of said template members being carried by the other of said mounting means; and

means for urging the tire and bufiing wheel into butting engagement.

9. An apparatus in accordance with claim 8 wherein the means for urging the tire casing and buffing wheel into bufling engagement comprises an air-actuated, pistoncylinder assembly.

10. In an apparatus for bufling a tire casing to a desired profile, the combination comprising:

means for mounting the tire casing for rotation about a horizontal axis and for translatory, horizontal movement along a line perpendicular to the axis of rotatron;

bufiing wheel and means for mounting the bufling wheel for rotation about a vertical axis and for translatory movement along a line transverse to the line of translatory movement of the tire casing;

a tire casing profile template member and a template follower member with one of said members being supported by one of said mounting means and with the other of said template members being carried by the other of said mounting means;

means for moving the template follower member with respect to its supporting mounting means toward and away from the tire casing profile template member; and

means for urging the template member and the template follower member into engagement.

11. An apparatus in accordance with claim 10 wherein the means for urging the template member and the template follower member into engagement comprises an airactuated, piston-cylinder assembly.

1 2. In an apparatus for bufiing' a tirecasing to a desired profile, the combination comprising? a first carriage movable" in .a horizontal wise of said apparatus;

means for rotatably mounting a tire casingon said first carriagewith the axis of rotation of the tire casing,

being disposed horizontally; .7 a p a second carriage movable in a horizontal planezin a V directionit'ransversefto theline of-i'movementof the: 1

first'caxriage; L m 1 a buffing wheel rotatablyesuppor'ted aboutL-a vertical axis by the second carriage and with the boiling wheel lying in a plane. including the axis of rotation of the tire casing; 4

means for moving the second carriage and the bufling" Wheel'mounted thereon in'a, direction transverse to the line of movement of the firstcarriage; means for urging the tire casing but-ling engagement; and a tire casing profile template member and a template follower member with one of said templatemembers being supported on thefirst carriage and with the other of said template membersbeing carried by the second carriage. I 13. A tire bufling apparatus in accordance with claim 12 wherein an adjusting .means is provided for moving the template follower member withj'reference to its sup porting carriage toward and away from the tire casing profile template member.

ane lengthand bufiing wheel-into first carriage;

1 means for rotatably mounting atire casing on one of the'two carriage'swith the axis of-rotation of the tire casing being disposedhorizontallyj 1 a'bufling' Wheel rotatably supported about a vertical axis "on the other one of the -twol carriages andwith s the boiling wheel lying in a plane-including th'e' axis of rotation of thetire casing; t J i movement;

means for-urging the ttire casing andthe bufiing wheel into bufiingengagement; and

- follower rnember' withione of said templatemember s being. supported on the firsticarriagexand with the other of said templaternembers beingv carried by the second carriage.

2 the means for urging the buffing'wheel and tire casing into buifing engagementcomprises an air-actuated, pistoncylinder assembly T I No 7 references cited;

- =meansffor movingthe vfirst carriage along its line of v a tire casing-profile template member and a'template 1 15;"An apparatus in accordance with claim 14 wherein' 

1. IN AN APPARATUS FOR BUFFING A TIRE CASING, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING: TWO CARRIAGES WITH ONE OF THE SAID CARRIAGES BEING MOVABLE LONGITUDINALLY OF THE APPARATUS AND WITH THE OTHER CARRIAGE BEING MOVABLE IN A TRANSVERSE DIRECTION THEREOF; MEANS FOR ROTATABLY MOUNTING A TIRE CASING ON ONE OF THE TWO CARRIAGES; A BUFFING WHEEL ROTATABLY SUPPORTED BY THE OTHER OF THE TWO CARRIAGES AND MOVABLE INTO BUFFING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE TIRE CASING; 